Guest Blogger- Brian Heckman
Prior planning prevents poor performance.
Businesses, football teams and militaries have a well-thought-out plan. Hours, days and weeks go into putting these plans together, and exactly how to implement them for success.
This time of year is ripe with good intentions. From hitting the gym 3 times a week to getting out of debt…..from spending time with God every day to improving our marriage, we have these fleeting hopes that these things will be accomplished this year. But, by January’s end, most people will go back to the familiar grind without discipline and commitment to make those hopes into reality.
Nine years ago I started writing down personal goals with a good friend. We met once a year and shared our written goals in these areas:
1. Faith
2. Business
3. Finances
4. Relationships
5. Health
6. Fun
Neither of us was exactly successful at regularly reviewing our goals that year. But, we made the effort. We identified (and wrote down) our life-guiding principles, which immediately gave direction to choices we faced later that year.
Since then, I’ve sought-out, and found, other guys to share goals & plans with…and now we review them together every month. Now I have the accountability to keep the commitment to my goals and plans. The book of Proverbs is full of advice on having a plan, and having advisors to help you with working that plan.
I’ve also done this exercise with my wife, which has been extremely beneficial to discuss what we each want to accomplish in the coming months.
Start somewhere. Write it down and share it with someone.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Feetball!
We’re playing football @ 7:30 a.m. this Saturday, Jan. 2nd
***Bring a DARK shirt & a WHITE shirt***
Email back, please, if you ARE playing…and/or are bringing friends (just no chicks, please).
Playing at Westwood Lakes fields:
From Veterans Expressway / 589:
WEST on Linebaugh, cross Sheldon Road into Westchase subdivision
RIGHT on Countryway, go about 1.2 miles on Countryway
STRAIGHT - Cross over Racetrack Rd., name changes to Nine Eagles Road…go 0.7 miles on Nine Eagles Rd.
LEFT on Westwood Lakes Blvd. into Westwood Lakes subdivision.
LEFT side will be fields (and a playground) as you enter Westwood Lakes Subdivision
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Christmas in Repose
I was looking at some photos today on the wall in my office building. These photos were your typical sports team pictures: the football team lined up in 2 rows in the center of the picture, the coaches on either side of the team with their hands folded neatly behind their back, and the one loan kid waiving a peace sign to the camera. But what struck me was one of the coaches. Now, I saw him in multiple pictures of the teams he had coached over the years that my company had sponsored. As the history is laid out over those years, the one coach remains the same, but his demeanor changes in each picture as the years go by. It made me reflect on how we look at Christmas each year.
I kept asking myself as I looked at those pictures: what was he thinking about when that picture was taken? Was he having a bad day? Did he just win the lottery in another? I have no idea. What I do know is that it was a brief moment in time: a snapshot. Our culture’s Christmas season is always just a snapshot. We think about God a little more during this time of year, some people only go to church on this one day all year, or we may step up our game to make sure we talk with those people we know who might otherwise not think twice about coming to church. The other things we see are those signs that say “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” How true that is, but what about how skewed that is?
There’s a quote from a man named Perry Noble, the lead pastor of Newspring Church in South Carolina, from a sermon he gave last year during this season. He said, “Jesus isn’t the reason for the season, Jesus is the reason for LIFE!” Wow, how true THAT is. What I pray for is that our focus remains the same as it is during the Christmas season, but during the other 11 months of the year. Just walk around and you will see during this shopping season, there are people all over who need Jesus Christ. The evidence lies in the woman who just yanked the last Wii game from another woman’s hand because her child needed it more than the other woman’s. The evidence lies in the man who just yelled at the waitress because he had to wait 10 minutes longer than he is used to for his food, and it wasn’t at the exact temperature he wanted it. The evidence lies in the teenager who works behind the counter at Wal-Mart having to deal with the frustrated person at the register when the item was on sale in the back, but the price that is ringing up isn’t correct.
This time of year can refocus our efforts, but let’s work to keep it focused all year round. I wish you all a joyous Christmas filled with love and peace.
Jeremiah
.
I kept asking myself as I looked at those pictures: what was he thinking about when that picture was taken? Was he having a bad day? Did he just win the lottery in another? I have no idea. What I do know is that it was a brief moment in time: a snapshot. Our culture’s Christmas season is always just a snapshot. We think about God a little more during this time of year, some people only go to church on this one day all year, or we may step up our game to make sure we talk with those people we know who might otherwise not think twice about coming to church. The other things we see are those signs that say “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” How true that is, but what about how skewed that is?
There’s a quote from a man named Perry Noble, the lead pastor of Newspring Church in South Carolina, from a sermon he gave last year during this season. He said, “Jesus isn’t the reason for the season, Jesus is the reason for LIFE!” Wow, how true THAT is. What I pray for is that our focus remains the same as it is during the Christmas season, but during the other 11 months of the year. Just walk around and you will see during this shopping season, there are people all over who need Jesus Christ. The evidence lies in the woman who just yanked the last Wii game from another woman’s hand because her child needed it more than the other woman’s. The evidence lies in the man who just yelled at the waitress because he had to wait 10 minutes longer than he is used to for his food, and it wasn’t at the exact temperature he wanted it. The evidence lies in the teenager who works behind the counter at Wal-Mart having to deal with the frustrated person at the register when the item was on sale in the back, but the price that is ringing up isn’t correct.
This time of year can refocus our efforts, but let’s work to keep it focused all year round. I wish you all a joyous Christmas filled with love and peace.
Jeremiah
.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Servant Evangelism at Publix Across from Sickles HS
This Saturday, 19 December 2009, Church at the Bay has been given the opportunity to really reach out to those around our new home at Sickles HS. From 10 am to 5 pm, we need people out there at the Publix on the corner of Gunn Highway and Sheldon Rd (right across the street from Sickles HS) to hand out our Christmas Impact Cards to those coming in and out. We are planning on having a band out there to entertain and JP will be doing a rendition of Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer every hour, on the hour! If you would like to volunteer to help hand out cards, please contact neal@churchatthebay.com. We hope to see you there and let’s work harder this Christmas season to kick a dent in Hell!
.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
God Guides
“So, I’m single now. Everything’s changed. I hate it.” –Corey Flood, from the movie Say Anything
This quote sums up the point in life I found myself about a year ago. I was fresh out of a divorce, in the middle of a difficult graduate program, and about 1000 miles from my family, friends, and other support system. Luckily, my sister took an active interest in reminding me that getting myself back into relationship with God and a good church would be the wisest choice for me. That’s how I found CATB. Encouraged to grow in the Word, and to put my growth into action, I also realized I was surrounded by many positive influences for the next steps in my life - especially as a newly single guy. I was encouraged to seek from God what a true intimate relationship with a woman would look like. I was also reminded that to achieve this, sex was off the table. This is really nothing a newly single guy wants to hear. It has not been an easy challenge. But what I have come to know very well now is that God digs it when I obey His word. Obedience allows my authenticity and better sight of His faithfulness in my relationship with Him.
This has really become evident in my schooling experience. As a requirement to graduate, I had to write a paper about research in the world of healthcare. I felt the nudge to look away from classic topics in medicine and make my paper about the ways in which God was represented in healthcare. I was lead to write about studies involving prayer in the healthcare setting. The paper required a professional mentor. I sought out a local physician who I had heard took time to pray with his patients. He accepted my invitation to mentor the paper.
Then, on the very day I was going to meet with him about the structure and research of the paper, a position in his office had just become available. I sent in my resume and expressed interest in the position. Some time passed, but he eventually called me back for an interview. I interviewed and was offered the position.
To the secular world, this is just a great coincidence. I was once one of those people. Now that I see with the eyes of a renewed mind, I realize God has a plan far more detailed than simple coincidence.
I never truly knew or understood until now when some say God is always faithful. Now I do, and He is. When I reflect on where I have been, what I have done, and the many blessings in my life I should not have received, it is quite evident that He does have a particular plan for me. I am pretty sure I am getting hip to his faithfulness these days. I don’t need to know the details of every step, all I have to do is to be faithful to choose to trust and obey Him.
Guest blogger
Mike Warren
This quote sums up the point in life I found myself about a year ago. I was fresh out of a divorce, in the middle of a difficult graduate program, and about 1000 miles from my family, friends, and other support system. Luckily, my sister took an active interest in reminding me that getting myself back into relationship with God and a good church would be the wisest choice for me. That’s how I found CATB. Encouraged to grow in the Word, and to put my growth into action, I also realized I was surrounded by many positive influences for the next steps in my life - especially as a newly single guy. I was encouraged to seek from God what a true intimate relationship with a woman would look like. I was also reminded that to achieve this, sex was off the table. This is really nothing a newly single guy wants to hear. It has not been an easy challenge. But what I have come to know very well now is that God digs it when I obey His word. Obedience allows my authenticity and better sight of His faithfulness in my relationship with Him.
This has really become evident in my schooling experience. As a requirement to graduate, I had to write a paper about research in the world of healthcare. I felt the nudge to look away from classic topics in medicine and make my paper about the ways in which God was represented in healthcare. I was lead to write about studies involving prayer in the healthcare setting. The paper required a professional mentor. I sought out a local physician who I had heard took time to pray with his patients. He accepted my invitation to mentor the paper.
Then, on the very day I was going to meet with him about the structure and research of the paper, a position in his office had just become available. I sent in my resume and expressed interest in the position. Some time passed, but he eventually called me back for an interview. I interviewed and was offered the position.
To the secular world, this is just a great coincidence. I was once one of those people. Now that I see with the eyes of a renewed mind, I realize God has a plan far more detailed than simple coincidence.
I never truly knew or understood until now when some say God is always faithful. Now I do, and He is. When I reflect on where I have been, what I have done, and the many blessings in my life I should not have received, it is quite evident that He does have a particular plan for me. I am pretty sure I am getting hip to his faithfulness these days. I don’t need to know the details of every step, all I have to do is to be faithful to choose to trust and obey Him.
Guest blogger
Mike Warren
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